Columns

I exited the University of Louisville hospital and hot-footed it up Chestnut Avenue toward Norton Hospital. I had suddenly changed courses, and having started in another direction, I quickened my pace.

Although I had made a spontaneous decision, I had a reason for my journey.

Several years ago I heard one fellow I didn’t know describing his wife’s surprise pregnancy. He sure wasn’t a hypocrite. He loudly proclaimed that he told the doctor to have this future baby checked out “real good.” He wanted the pregnancy ended if there was anything wrong. To be honest, it sounded pretty ugly when you heard the words spoken out loud.

“Perfection” is in such a high rate of demand that if you “aren’t” then you might not be “admitted” to our world.

There are three surefire signs of getting old. The first is forgetfulness. I don’t remember what the other two are.
Must not have been important.

Anyway, now that I’m a senior citizen, I can tell you that my memory isn’t what it used to be. If I didn’t then Cindy would.

Unlike myself, Cindy has a photographic memory and never forgets anything. It’s something that comes in quite handy for her when we have “loud discussions” at home. Any of you other guys have that problem out there?

Earlier this month, the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet released its annual report Economic Impact of Kentucky’s Travel and Tourism Industry. Tourism has long been an important job creator in Kentucky, and as the report revealed, those opportunities are growing across the state. Tourism-generated jobs provided more than $3.2 billion in wages to Kentucky workers in 2016—an increase of more than $156 million from 2015 wages.

Will Rogers said: “We can’t all be heroes. Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they go by.”
You know it’s funny – some people who think they’re heroes aren’t and some who don’t consider themselves heroes really are.

I’ve been teaching a small Reserve Officer Candidate Course (ROTC) at Centre College for several years. I’ve brought in a lot of guest speakers, mostly veterans, who faced life-threatening situations and lived to tell about it.

I’m 57 years old. When I was a kid I use to ask my parents, “What do we have now that you didn’t have when you were growing up?”

The list was remarkably small. About the only thing they could think of was jets and televisions.

If my kids asked me the same question today, I could give them dozens of items off the top of my head. Lots of the new stuff can be very helpful. For example, having a cell phone when your car breaks down on the highway. But other things have a real dark side.

George Washington Carver, the botanist and inventor—who as a black man in the Reconstruction era of nineteenth century America had reason upon reason for not succeeding—once observed, “Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

Carver made a conscious decision not to allow his disadvantages keep him from making positive contributions to life.

I knew this day would come, but I admit, I didn’t think it would be so soon.

This week’s publication will be my last as editor of The Springfield Sun, as I’ve accepted a position with the Kentucky Cabinet of Economic Development as a communications officer. I’ll start the new job on June 16 and I’ll be taking plenty of memories of Washington County with me.

Starting with everyone at The Sun office; they’ve become a second family to me.